Track of the Moment: Serpents by Sharon Van Etten

I’m going to be the first to admit I dropped the ball on this one. Van Etten’s highly anticipated third album Tramp was released a month ago, and I’ve waited until now to post about it. I have an excuse…okay I don’t, but let’s not dwell on that.

In my defense this LP really didn’t need the “Mark Bump.” It reached #9 on Billboard’s Independent Albums, and when perusing interviews it’s very hard to find anyone saying anything bad about it. It’s certainly no upbeat disc, but you know what they say, sometimes the best way to kick the blues is to sing them. And man, can she sing them!

The track from this album that I picked is Serpents. A rough indie rock song about someone on the receiving end of a abusive relationship. You can almost hear the swirling of emotions in this song from the anger and frustration in the guitar and drums, to the sadness and uncertainty in the slide guitar and lyrical delivery. The music may make it, but the lyrics sell it. This isn’t a song about someone who is invincible or unbreakable. She is unsure, she is scared, but damnit she’s there.

I’ve got a little treat since you guys have been so good lately. You can download a demo of this track here on her soundcloud. It was released to promote the album. This gift is a double edged sword however. I’m not saying this demo isn’t good, but compared to all the bells and whistles of the actual track, it might not be enough for you. You might need the single, you might need the whole cd…and that’s how they get you. But don’t worry Ms. Van Etten I don’t resent this one bit, on the contrary I look forward to being captured by more of your music in the future. Check out her other stuff and future shows here: http://sharonvanetten.com/ (She’s coming to Philly later this year!)